Gallagher delivers the goods in Rás

STEPHEN GALLAGHER (An Post/Sean Kelly/Martin Donnelly/ Grant Thornton) won the overall title and the national road race champion, David O’Loughlin (Pezula Racing), won the high-profile final stage of the FBD Insurance Rás in Skerries yesterday as Irish riders reclaimed control of Irish cycling’s showpiece.

The coveted title has gone abroad every year since 2004 but this year may well prove a watershed with two Irish professional teams taking part for the first time and, fittingly, sharing the glory on the last day. To add to that, there were three Irish stage winners earlier in the week and two other riders — McCann and luckless Mark Cassidy — wore the coveted yellow jersey.

Yesterday Gallagher won the overall title by a minute and 42 seconds from Roger Aiken of the Ireland National Team with British rider, Rob Partridge (Plowman Craven), who had also been hovering at the top of the general classification sheet all week, a further second back in third.